Bangladesh a preferred choice of global apparel buyers: BGMEA

BGMEA Vice President Shahidullah Azim said the world-class workplace safety along with remarkable achievements of the RMG industry in the area of sustainability has made Bangladesh a preferred choice of global buyers for sourcing garments. 

"With unprecedented initiatives involving the government, ILO, brands, buyers, and efforts and invest by entrepreneurs, the RMG industry of Bangladesh has made exemplary achievements in ensuring workplace safety in the RMG industry covering fire, electrical and structural integrity in a transparent manner, earning global praise and recognition," he said.

The BGMEA vice president said this while speaking as a special guest at the launching ceremony of the 8th International Fire and Safety and Security Expo 2022 organised by the Electronic Safety and Security Association of Bangladesh (ESSAB) in Dhaka on 27 August.

Director General of Fire Service and Civil Defence Brigadier General Md Main Uddin attended the programme as chief guest. 
Vice President of FBCCI Md Amin Helaly was also present at the programme which was chaired by President of ESSAB Zahir Uddin Babar. 

In his speech, Shahidullah Azim said the apparel industry has gone through extraordinary challenges and successfully overcome them, even bounce back even stronger every time. 

"Alongside workplace safety, Bangladesh has the highest number of green garment factories with 167 factories LEED certified by the US Green Building Council (USGBC). While we are proud of our outstanding achievements in the area of workplace safety and environmental sustainability, we are also committed to making efforts to sustain the accomplishments," he said. 

Shahidullah Azim laid emphasis on the production of safety equipment in Bangladesh maintaining international standards.

He thanked ESSAB for consistently organizing the international Fire Safety and Security Expo as it brings safety equipment suppliers, professionals and users under one roof for fruitful interactions. 

It plays a significant role in showcasing the latest fire safety equipment and knowledge to the industries, thus raising awareness among the industries, he further said. 

The 8th Fire Safety and Security Expo will be held from November 24 to 26 at Bangabandhu International Convention Center (BICC) where world-famous safety equipment brands will participate.